Yarn material photographic processing apparatus



y 1969 M. E. JOHNSON 3,442,196

YARN MATERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS Original Filed April 20, 1964 Sheet of 3 FIG 2 MERE/AM E JOHNSON INVENTOR.

BY 4 M y 6, 1969 M. E. JOHNSON 3,442,196

YARN MATERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS Original Filed April 20, 1964 Sheet 2 of s v/a/m TIA/6 MECHA/WSM FIG. '3

MERE/AM E. JOHNSON INVENTOR.

May 6, 1969 M. E. JOHNSON 3,442,196

YARN MATERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS Original Filed April 20, 1964 Sheet 5 of 3 MERE/AM E JOHNSON INVENTOR.

A rroR/vErs Unite States Patent 3,442,196 YARN MATERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS Merriam E. Johnson, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Continuation of application Ser. No. 558,518, June 17, 1966, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 360,862, Apr. 20, 1964. This application Apr. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 725,221

Int. Cl. 603d /06; lltlSc I/14 US. Cl. 9589 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation of Us. application Ser. No. 558,518 filed on June 17, 1966, now abandoned, which is a continuation of US. application Ser. No. 360,862 filed Apr. 20, 1964, and now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to a photographic apparatus, and more specifically to a photographic processing apparatus utilizing a filament applicator for applying processing solutions to a photographic material.

Photographic processing apparatus in which a web, soaked with a processing solution, is brought into intimate contact with tne exposed emulsion surface of a strip of photographic material for the necessary time to effect processing are well known in the art. An apparatus of this type is disclosed in US. Patent 2,848,931, R. A. Troidl, Aug. 26, 1958. In such apparatus, the web comprises a highly absordent, paper-like web material which, although of the high wet strength variety, nevertheless has a limited tensile strength. In apparatus of this type, in order to keep the exposure-to-view or access time to a minimum, it is necessary to reduce the width of the web to a minimum, consistent with acceptable processing. Some of the limiting factors on how far the width of the web may be reduced are the tensile strength of the web and its solution-carrying capacity.

The disadvantages of the prior known web processors have been obviated by applicants processing device wherein a filament of yarn material, preferably of substantially constant diameter, such as a string, although filaments of a non-circular cross section may be used, serves as the applicator for the processing solutions. The string has been found to have a much greater tensile strength and solution-carrying capacity than webs of considerably greater width, and further provides a minimum exposure-to-view or access time.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a photographic processing apparatus that utilizes a filament of yarn material as the applicator for a processing solution.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yarn material photographic processing apparatus that is extremely compact; requiring only a fraction of the space normally required by known types of web processing apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a processing apparatus that utilizes a yarn material of a substantially constant diameter as the applicator for minimizing the exposure-to-view or access time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yarn material photographic processing apparatus that is of simple design and construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, and economical to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yarn material processing apparatus in which the distance along a film required to accommodate the various processing operations such as developing, fixing and washing is reduced to a minimum.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved photographic processing apparatus utilizing a yarn material, such as a string, as the applicator for a processing solution, and further having a reciprocally mounted guide block with a grooved end extending across the film for receiving, guiding and pressing the string, during transport, against the emulsion surface of a photographic material for processing same.

Objects and advantages other than those set forth above will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a porous yarn photographic processing apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a segmental side elevation view of the guide block and support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged segmental view partly in section of a portion of the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a segmental view of a portion of a string used in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged segmental view in section of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 5 showing a still further modification of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a yarn material photographic processing apparatus according to the present invention is disclosed in FIG. 1. In this apparatus, a film 8 to be processed is transported from a film supply reel, not shown, mounted in a film cassette 10 to a pair of guide rollers 12, 14, through a processing station comprising a fixed mandrel 16 over which the film passes, and onto a film take-up reel 18 by means of a conventional transport mechanism such as opposed transport drive rollers 20, 22. The take-up reel 18 may be mounted in a cassette, not shown. A transparent platform 24 is interposed between mandrel 16 and transport rollers 20, 22 with its upper surface in engagement with the base of film S. The platform 24 may serve as a viewing station for viewing the film as it emerges from the processing station, and also may be heated to serve as a film dryer.

The processing of the exposed film 8 is accomplished by means of an elongated, flexible and preferably cylindrical porous filament of fibrous material such as a yarn material presoaked with a monobath processing solution containing both the developing and fixing ingredients. The yarn material, such as a string 26, is shown as having a substantially constant diameter throughout its length, and further has the characteristics of being strong, soft, highly absorbent, uniform in cross section, and free of contaminants. In fact, good processing results have been obtained by a white, soft, highly absorbent cotton string having an extremely uniform cross section of about 0.015 inch in diameter. As seen in FIG. 4, such a string 26 is normally formed from a plurality of yarn threads 3 27 twisted together. These threads provide good agitation of the processing solution contained therein when the string 26 is drawn across film 8.

The presoaked string 26 is fed through a small hole 28 in the periphery of a substantially air tight supply cassette 30, through a guide tube 32 positioned as close to cassette 30 as possible to restrict exposure of the string to air, across film 8, through another guide tube 32', and onto a take-up spool 36 by means of a wrap-around capstan drive 38. The capstan 38 is driven by a variable speed motor 40 which in turn drives take-up spool 36 through pulleys 42, 44 and belt 46, and may also drive the transport rollers 20, 22 through any suitable drive system, not shown. A pre-heater 48 of any conventional type may surround guide tube 32 for heating the presoaked string 26 as it passes through the guide tube prior to the processing operation.

The supply cassette 30 may be prepared by winding a quantity of processing string 26 on a stainless steel spool or reel, not shown, and placing this reel in cassette 30. This assembly may then be charged with a small quantity of the appropriate processing solution. It has been found that at least 150 yards of the string can be wound on a supply spool or reel, and approximately two ounces of processing solution is required to saturate it. This amount of yarn and solution has been found to satisfactorily process approximately 22 feet of film.

A guide block 50 is provided facing a flattened surface of mandrel 16, and extending at least across film 8 to be processed. The block 50 is of narrow width at one end thereof, and has an elongated peripheral receiving groove 52 therein, see FIG. 3, for receiving string 26 and holding it in a proper processing position. The guide block 50 further has a pair of ribs 54 at each end thereof, as best seen in FIG. 2, slidable in the grooves 56 of a fixed support member 58 for guiding reciprocal movement of guide block 50 between operative and inoperative positions. The guide block 50 in its operative position, holds string 26 in the desired processing position, and also applies the desired pressure to the string urging it against film 8 being processed. In its inoperative position, guide block 50 is withdrawn from the film surface to facilitate the initial threading of film 8 and string 26. Any known means such as a spring biased detent 60 cooperating with spaced recesses 62, 64 in rib 54 may be used to releasably hold guide block 50 in its operative and inoperative positions. Also, manual means or any known mechanical means, not shown, may be used to move the guide block 50 between its operative and inoperative positions. Both mandrel 16 and guide block 50 may be heated by any suitable heating elements 66, 68 respectively, to maintain a desired processing temperature.

Any suitable exposing mechanism may be used to expose film 8 before it enters the processing station. The optics 72 and optic axis of such a system are shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Since film 8 is light sensitive, it may be preferable to house supply reel 10, mandrel 16 and block 50 in a suitable light-tight housing, not shown. The exposure may be accomplished by a light line trace of data emitted from a cathode-ray tube, not shown, which is focused onto film 8 along the optic axis to form a latent image thereon.

In addition, guide block 50 may be provided with an elongated recess 74, as seen best in FIG 3, for housing an agitator bar 76 agitated by any suit-able vibrating mechanism. This agitator bar 76 serves to enhance film processing by increasing solution agitation.

In the modification of the invention disclosed in FIG 5, parts shown therein that are similar to parts shown in FIG. 1 will be designated by the same numerals primed. This apparatus differs from the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 1 in that the take-up reels for the processing strings are omitted, and a separate string 26 is used to apply each of the developing or processing solutions to film 8'. Accordingly, an additional supply reel 30 is necessary,

as well as a transport mechanism 38', 40'. Also, guide tubes 32, 34 are replaced by guide blocks 78 having a plurality of openings 80 to accommodate the strings involved. The strings 26' may be transported in the same or opposite directions.

In the modification disclosed in FIG. 7, parts shown therein that are similar to parts shown in FIG. 1 will be designated by the same numerals double-primed. In this modification, the mandrel 1 6" comprises a cylindrical member, and the lower end of guide block 50" has a curvature conforming to the curvature of mandrel 16". The lower end of guide block 50" is provided with a plurality of grooves 52" for accommodating a plurality of strings for applying various processing solutions such as developer, fix, and wash solutions in succession to the surface of the film. The guide block 50" comprises two portions 82, 84, each having retaining grooves 52" at one end thereof. A transparent portion 86, made of Lucite or the like, is interposed between portions 82, 84 through which the film emulsion may be re-exposed by means of a suitable light source 88 or the like.

In order to achieve minimum access or exposure-toview time, it is necessary that guide block 50 be as narrow as possible, particularly at the grooved end. Accordingly, it is conceivable that if string 26 had a cross section of reduced diameter, that is on the order of .005 to .007 inch, and was advanced or transported across film 8 at increased speeds, a significant narrowing of the end of guide block 50 could be achieved. In a multiple string processor of the type disclosed in FIGS. 6 and 7, in which a plurality of strings in close proximity are guided across film 8, the processing operation, involving for example developing, stopping and fixing, can be accomplished in a very short space. Since the individual solutions are self-contained in each cassette 30, there would be no danger of intermixing.

For best processing results, some experimentation will be necessary in order to determine the optimum string speed, film speed, and guide block-mandrel temperature to achieve best processing results. However, once these processing parameters have been established, the processing apparatus can be run for long periods of time without any marked variation in the processing results.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that further variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for processing to a visible image an exposed latent image on the sensitive surface of a. strip of photosensitive material transportable in one direction through a processing station, the combination comprising:

means for supporting a filament of porous yarn material for movement in a direction transverse to said one direction, said yarn material adapted to carry a processing solution to be applied to said exposed sensitive surface at said processing station;

means for moving said yarn material in said transverse direction; and

means for guiding and urging said yarn material into pressure engagement with said sensitive surface of said photosensitive material for applying the processing solution carried by said yarn material to said sensitive surface upon movement of said yarn material.

2. In an apparatus for processing to a visible image an exposed latent image on the sensitive surface of a strip of photosensitive material trans-portable in one direction through a processing station, the combination comprising:

means for applying a processing solution to said exposed sensitive surface at said processing station and including a filament of porous yarn material for carrying a processing solution;

means for moving said yarn material in a direction transverse to said one direction; and

means for guiding and urging said yarn material into pressure engagement with said sensitive surface of said photosensitive material for applying said processing solution carried by said yarn material to said sensitive surface upon movement of said yarn material.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and wherein said processing apparatus comprises a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its sensitive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means com-prises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block having a receiving groove in said end surface for receiving said string, and extending transversely of the direction in which said strip is transported, the diameter of said string exceeding the sum of the depth of said groove and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block.

5'. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and wherein said processing apparatus comprises a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its sensitive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means comprises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block having a receiving groove of semi-circular cross-section in said end surface for receiving said string, and extending transversely of the direction in which said strip is transported, the diameter of said string exceeding the sum of the depth of said groove and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block.

6. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and wherein said processing apparatus comprises a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its sensitive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means comprises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block having a receiving groove in said end surface for receiving said string, and extending transversely of the direction in which said strip is transported, the diameter of said string exceeding the sum of the depth of said groove and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block, said guide block further being adjustably movable between an operative position, in which said string is guided into pressure engagement with said sensitive surface for processing same, and an inoperative position, in which said block is retracted from said strip to facilitate film and string threading.

7. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and said supporting means supports a plurality of strings, and wherein said processing apparatus comprising a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its sensitive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means comprises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block having a plurality of receiving grooves in its end surface, each groove adapted to receive one of said strings carrying a processing solution, said grooves extending transversely of the direction in which said strip is transported, and the diameter of each string exceeding the sum of the depth of one of said grooves and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and wherein said processing apparatus comprises a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its sensitive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means comprises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block having a receiving groove in said end surface for receiving Said string, and extending transversely of the direction in which said strip is transported, the diameter of said string exceeding the sum of the depth of said groove and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block, and said guide block further having a recess in said end surface adjacent said receiving groove and on the side thereof from which said strip departs, and agitating means in said recess to provide solution agita ion.

9. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and wherein said processing means comprises a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its sensitive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means comprises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block having a receiving groove in said end surface for receiving said string, and extending transversely of the direction in which said strip is transported, the diameter of said string exceeding the sum of said groove and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block, said guide block further having a recess in said end surface adjacent said receiving groove and on the side thereof from which said strip departs, and agitating means comprising a bar positioned in said recess in engagement with the emulsion surface of said strip, and means for vibrating said bar to provide solution agitation.

10. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said yarn material comprises a string, and wherein said processing means comprises a fixed support over which said strip of photosensitive material is transported with its base in engagement therewith and its senstive surface facing outwardly, and said guiding and urging means comprises a guide block having an end surface facing said sensitive surface and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance, said guide block comprising a first section having a peripheral groove for receiving a string carrying a developer solution, a second section having a peripheral groove for receiving a string carrying a fix solution, and a transparent section interposed between said first and second sections through which said strip may be re-exposed, said peripheral grooves extending transversely of the direction of which said strip is transported, the diameter of each string exceeding the sum of the depth of its groove and the predetermined distance between said sensitive surface and guide block.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,106,311 1/1938 Whitehead 117-112 2,409,153 10/1946 Russell et al 94 2,811,088 10/1957 Walker 9589 XR 2,915,393 12/1959 Fairbank 95-89 XR 3,134,317 5/1964 Land 95--89 3,182,632 5/1965 Vazdikis 118106 XR 3,232,195 2/1966 Chen 9589 XR JOHN M. HORAN, Primary Examiner.

FRED L. BRAUN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 118-257 

